Efforts to initiate this Air Quality and Source Apportionment Study go back over a decade. In 1999, LAWA began its efforts to study LAX’s contribution to area emissions. However, the tragic events of September 11, 2001 brought to a halt the implementation of the study just as the field work (i.e., air monitoring) was beginning, and LAWA worked diligently over the next several years to re-initiate the study components.

In 2006, the project was formally reinitiated with the reestablishment of a Technical Working Group (TWG) composed of highly qualified professionals to advise and help navigate around the challenges facing this study. The TWG is comprised of air quality scientists and researchers from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), California Air Resources Board (CARB), South Coast Air Quality Management District (AQMD), State of California Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment, Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), and community organizations. While LAWA retained ultimate decision-making authority and responsibility for the study, LAWA and the TWG worked closely toward consensus-based decision-making and sought agreement among the respective participants on the scientific methods and processes used to conduct the study. CDM Smith has served in a scientific advisory role to LAWA management.

The study is broken up into two main components:

1. Technology and Methodology Feasibility Demonstration Project (Phases I & II) - Monitoring conducted at 5 on-airport locations to evaluate techniques ranging from experimental to proven were evaluated as part of this demonstration phase.

2. Core Study (Phase III) - Using the results of the Demonstration Project, the final phase of work evaluates and documents the contribution of LAX-related activities to area emissions.

In February 2008 a contract was awarded to Jacob's Consultancy, Inc. (later Leigh Fisher, Inc.), who conducted Phases I and II of the study. Tetra Tech, Inc. was selected in 2011 to conduct Phase III, the core study. Phase III monitoring was carried out during the winter and summer seasons in 2012. In conjunction with the monitoring, Phase III includes several types of computer modeling and analysis. The final report is scheduled to be completed in June 2013.